Amplecti Memorias
by theBrillianceofNight
Summary: 4. Don't look back. 3. Move forward. 2. Never forget. 1. Remember. The government is falling and the country depends on a mission doomed from the start. Can they possibly succeed? "You guys will be legends." "If we survive that long."
1. Prologue

Tenten shivered, studying the black snake wrapped around her left wrist.

It matched the ones wrapped around both fourth fingers like gleaming, scaly black rings, and the two intertwined across her back, slithering across her sides and curling up just below her ribcage.

She'd wanted dragons, but they were a touch too complex for areas so small, so insignificant.

And yet another friend was dead, because that snake was smiling up at her, crisp black and vivid green ink.

First Hitomi, then Toshi, after that was Kyoko, followed shortly by Nagashi.

And now Ino was gone.

Things weren't supposed to turn out this way, Tenten mused.

Lots of people were supposed to have arrived. The plan was that she would make the journey in two weeks. Then the others would arrive, the blonds first and then Hinata. Soon after would be Lee and Neji.

Tenten had taken three weeks instead of the planned two because she'd sprained an ankle. She'd gotten antsy after a few hours of waiting and walked out of the safehouse, claiming Healing Magic. She'd raced across the countryside at a greatly delayed pace as a result, but she was moving and that was easier than sitting still and waiting for disaster to strike. A two-week trek took an extra seven days because she refused to let it heal properly.

She'd arrived with much fanfare, disguising a limp, and the next two days were spent in a whirlwind of activity. Afterwards, things slowed to a crawl and two more weeks dragged by. Tenten had toured and explored and found a favorite place in a grassy field littered with stones of different sizes and shapes. And she waited.

She was still waiting. Hinata should have arrived in the past week. So should have Lee and Neji. In three days, Sakura was scheduled to arrive. A day after that, so were Kiba and Shino.

Naruto and Ino were supposed to have arrived nine days past.

Instead, Ino was dead and Tenten was still waiting.

When had everything gone so wrong?

"Tenten! We need your help deciphering this page."

Tenten hurriedly wiped at her dry eyes and yelled back an answer. She lingered a touch longer in her favorite place before turning to leave, letting her hand smooth over the rock's surface, fingertips brushing briefly over the words _Rest In Peace_.

* * *

Four weeks ago she'd been planning for her birthday party.

Now her best friend was dead.

Sakura had to stifle a hysterical laugh at the irony of it all.

Ino had, quite clearly, promised to see Sakura again and buy her a new dress. It was going to be white with a deep emerald sash and lace hems of the same color. The white would be sprinkled with pink watercolor flowers and faint green leaves. There was a small rip in one of the seams, so she could have gotten it at a discounted price from the nice lady who always wore red earrings.

But Ino was dead, now.

Sakura suppressed another giggle, wondering for a moment why, instead of crying, she was laughing and considering a black dress with a dark red sash and star-like blood-red cypress blossoms.

Then a hand reached blindly into her corner of darkness and she focused on _disappearing_.

* * *

"Shit!"

Neji winced more at the loud exclamation than at the bullet grazing his ribs.

Incorporating his flinch into a smooth back flip, he dove to the left and curled up his body as he broke through a window, fell ten feet, and slid across a dirty floor.

"Shit, man, are you okay?" Kiba exclaimed, peeking down through the window. A dark silhouette jumped over Kiba's head and landed softly by Neji's side, gauging the wound with a critical and trained eye.

"He'll be fine. The bullet merely scratched his side," Shino intoned detachedly. "But why is your wrist bleeding?"

Neji groaned quietly as he carefully rolled into a seated position. He studied his wrist and grimaced at the dark red 'x' that was slowly fading into jade green. "You'll find a scarab on yours, and Kiba, there's a triangle on yours too."

"Shit," Kiba repeated.

"Ino is dead," Neji remarked dully, rising to his feet. His words echoed in the shadowy room and even the traffic outside seemed to go quiet for a few moments.

"We need to get moving, the trackers will be here soon," Shino warned abruptly, and they soon heard horns honking and voices yelling.

"Shit, sorry again, man. I didn't mean to shoot!" Kiba exclaimed. "We can't leave you here like this, shit, Neji, really—"

"I'll bring him around," Shino cut in smoothly. "We'll meet at the Hive."

Kiba nodded, ducking his head back out of the window. His shadow turned both ways before climbing upwards and sprinting away across the rooftops. His silent escape was visible only by the shadow projected onto the buildings on the opposite side of the alleyway.

Shino and Neji locked gazes and nodded simultaneously, melting into the shadows just as the remaining windows shook from the crisp report of a shotgun.

"Shit!"

"_Kiba!"_

* * *

Running, running, never stopping, Lee ran faster and faster. To stop would be to be killed, to pause would be to die. Faster and faster, and the world blurred past and the wind kept coming and it was more air than Lee had ever breathed in his life, but still not enough, never enough.

He kept on running so that the sound of gunfire warped as it rushed past his ears, and then he was laughing, because they couldn't touch him, never would.

Then there was a cracking noise and fire was burning a trail up his arm, pain and heat even though he was going fast enough to suffocate a flame.

And then he was falling faster and faster, drowning and still running, never wanting to _stop_.

Flames, licking up and dancing, cackling at failures and chuckling at death, snorting at success and happiness and life, laughing and laughing at everything in their path as they destroy, destroy, _destroy_.

* * *

Bright, cool moonlight glints off of a flower's delicate petals, edging them silver and deadly even as the petals float away on the wind. Then they shatter into a million pieces and they turn out to be ice, not metal. Still deadly, but more fragile, like glass in place of steel and hope instead of _sorrow_.

* * *

Black, as far as the eye can see. A stalwart wall of slate; dull coal in some places and shining obsidian in others, nothing more, nothing less. Uniform and yet not, and then the eye focuses in on hairline fractures slowly making the structure _weaken_.

* * *

Not more than expectations, just an oppressive heat even through the dark, like heavy summer nights and velvet darkness smothering and crushing and until one just can't _breathe_.

* * *

Gold, liquid gold pouring through the cracks and filling up, and yet a solid that forbids movement and will never release, heavy and heavy until it's solid and yet liquid, suffocating and one starts _drowning_.

* * *

Shikamaru groaned, stretching and pawing at his tired eyes until he froze with his eyes on his wrist.

All memories of what he'd seen from the frames on the wall drifted out of his mind, and through the sudden ringing in his ears, Shikamaru only dimly registered the feeling of pressure on his shoulder, and a voice came through, warped and warbled by his own inattention.

_Where did I go wrong?_ he wondered, hearing faint, musical laughter and tinkling bells.

All he could think of was the splotch of gray on his wrist, the cloud-like shadow that became bluish directly over his veins.

It made sense that things would fall apart with a deathly gray fixed over his bloodstream.

And all he was left with were rapidly dissipating memories of pale skin, pale blue eyes, pale blond hair, all pale and fading by the minute. A wisp of a figure, a sliver of a smile, a wan silhouette, and the thin, papery sound of tinkling laughter and musical bells.

And if even he concentrated, all he could find was a slowly thickening veil of gray _fog_.

* * *

-End Prologue-


	2. Chapter 1

"Hey, Tenten, what's this page say?"

Tenten glanced at the number and let the memories wash over her.

Then she stopped abruptly.

"You guys are only on page eight?" she exclaimed with horror. "It's been two weeks, you should at least be on _thirty_-eight!"

The brown-haired boy shrugged, readjusting his green goggles and fiddling with the end of his long blue scarf. "It's difficult and we've been busy."

"It's not difficult for _me_, and I've had absolutely _nothing_ to do these past two weeks!" she cried. "Why didn't you ask for my help?"

"Quite simply," the boy sneered, "because you're not qualified. You're just the messenger."

Tenten stared in shock at the boy's malicious glare and curled upper lip. The proof that she was the best qualified for the job was that she was the messenger at all, and he—

"Then have fun solving it yourself, 'Mr. Qualified'," Tenten growled before turning sharply on her heel and leaving the way she came.

She passed through the Mess Hall and the Infirmary and stumbled upon Sayuri. Upon inquiring where the older woman's children were, she stopped by the Nursery to say hello. Tenten spent a few minutes playing with the kids before excusing herself. She wandered onto the Pitch and tossed around a few sloppily sharpened practice knives, then found herself back in her favorite spot.

Once she was situated in her usual place between a boulder and a grassy incline, she leaned back with her arms under her head and _remembered_.

Two hours later, she snapped to attention at the sound of familiar footsteps.

"What do you want?" she asked, not bother to roll over or even open her eyes.

"Well, umm…." the boy stalled. Tenten waited for a few tense minutes, still savoring the dregs of relaxation. When she realized no answer was forthcoming, she opened her eyes and leveled a cool glance on the boy from earlier.

"Get on with it," she snapped, finally sitting up. The boy scratched his head, fidgeting, and Tenten took the time to properly study the boy.

"…I need help," the boy finally admitted.

"Try Morse code at a steady beat."

"It's a song?"

"Yeah," Tenten verified with pride. "The numbers are the tempo, the letters are the rhythms. Just stop before the eighth line. It'll be apparent by then."

"The Convergence?" he guessed.

"Yeah, and if you go past the eighth line, you'll bring the buildings down around our ears. The pages afterwards hold the Parting Song, and the rest of the pages up until thirty-eight are other songs."

The boy nodded in understanding and Tenten felt a small swell of pride at the emotions apparent on his face.

"The runes, then?" he prompted.

"Notes, the pitches."

"So the numbers are tempos, the letters are rhythms in Morse code, the runes are notes, and the dashes are for bar lines?"

"Correct," Tenten confirmed. "And guess who devised the system."

"You?" he asked with an expression of awe.

"_Now_ you're getting the respect right. But no, it was Hyūga Hinata."

"Lady Silvermist?" the boy clarified with envy at her familiarity with the figurehead of grace.

But Tenten had laid back down, now afloat on a roll of memories threaded together by a strand of song.

* * *

Shikamaru sighed, breathing in deeply and struggling to relax, even with the aid of his cigarette.

In, out, in, out, letting the toxic smoke fill his lungs and calm his muscles.

Then he'd think, and everything would seize up again, as tense as before.

Over and over until, finally, he divulged what was bothering him so to the only other occupant of the room.

"Chouji, when's dinner?"

"Six!" he spoke resignedly at the same time as his companion. "Sorry, it slipped my mind," he frowned. "I guess I—forgot." Shikamaru winced, opening his eyes to see the thirteen oval frames in front of him.

The only problem was that two were blank, three were black, and three were showing completely different environments. Even the point of view changed on each one, as though the frames' pictures were moving in position and swinging in different directions and angles as well.

Shikamaru blinked away the dizziness at seeing sky and ground switch places and then right themselves, as though the image had decided to flip itself over a few times.

The final four frames were filled with ambience-type moving pictures, one of fire, another of a wall, another of a flower, and the last of a dark night sky.

Shikamaru groaned, pulling himself out of the chair. He walked up to the first frame, muttered under his breath, closed his eyes, then pressed his fingertips to the suddenly reflective surface. A minute later, he withdrew and the frame returned to its former appearance. Then he walked to the next one, muttering and also pressing his fingers to the glass-like surface that had engulfed the moving pictures.

He repeated the process on the remaining eleven oval frames, and turned to Chouji once he was finished.

"Kiba is blacked out. Not in REM stage, just unconscious. Shino was speaking of some type of substance from the bees, so I suspect it is a chemically induced sleep. Neji is out in the fields, gathering some herbs. Tenten is still at Base, but she's getting antsy. Sakura escaped, but she refuses to sleep. Lee is close to encountering her, so as long as he gets there on time, she should be fine. The other four you can see for yourself, and the last three haven't changed since four weeks ago."

Chouji nodded. "Anything you need me to do?"

"What time is din—six. Right. No, there's nothing, unless you want to take your chances with Mitarashi-san."

Chouji grimaced and Shikamaru snorted.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. I'll be fine, I just want to run a few tests on Sakura and Kiba," Shikamaru said.

"See you at dinner," Chouji called, already halfway out the door.

"Six," Shikamaru called back, still chuckling wryly.

As soon as he heard the door close, he settled back in his chair, taking another deep drag from the cigarette still dangling from his fingertips.

Then he closed his eyes and dreamt.

* * *

It was one o'clock in the afternoon, and Tenten was _tired_.

It might have been the hot midday sun, or possibly that she'd been awake all night, anticipating news from Shikamaru.

It could have been an effect of worry, or it could have been maladjustment from three weeks on the run.

Whatever the cause, Tenten wanted—no, _needed_—to get up and _go_.

Somewhere.

Anywhere.

"Tenten!" a high voice shouted, and Tenten immediately recognized it as belonging to Moegi, a young girl whose father was at the head of the Information Technology team.

Tenten squinted to see the girl, yelled over a greeting in answer, then scowled at the sight of the brown-haired boy who had earlier dared to insult her intelligence.

When Moegi and the boy came to stand directly in the path of the sunlight on her face, Tenten sighed gratefully and sat up.

"So, what's up?" she inquired, cataloguing the boy's immediate reaction as an addition to his profile.

"Someone new arrived a few minutes ago!" Moegi exclaimed.

"Really?"

Tenten could honestly say she was interested.

"Yeah, some tall guy with gray hair," Moegi said. While Moegi continued to describe the new arrival, Tenten found her gaze wandering over to the brown-haired boy, studying his mannerisms and habits.

She watched him closely, looking for any clues that might hint towards the animosity the boy obviously harbored towards her, noting that he seemed to be good friends with Moegi.

Then she paused, fully comprehending who the boy reminded her of and who Moegi was excitedly describing to her.

"Kakashi," she realized, slowly grinning.

"Who?" the boy cut in, but Tenten leapt up and started to jog towards the Main Hall.

"C'mon Moegi, you too, Naruto Jr., I've got a friend to meet!" she called over her shoulder.

Thank god the reprieve had come to an end.

* * *

Shikamaru had to suppress an amused smirk as he pulled back from the first frame.

"I'll never understand how Tenten finds relaxation tiring," he mused, moving on to the next frame. A second later, he pulled back and went on to the next. A few minutes later, he stepped back, lifting his fingers off of the surface and returning it from mirror-like glass to a moving picture.

"Hey, Chou!" he called out. Chouji peeked his head through the doorway.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Lee and Sakura made it to Base and Tenten's still antsy."

Chouji opened his mouth to answer, but instead let out an undignified squawk as he was yanked away from the door and Anko replaced him with a snarky grin.

"Problem already solved. Her mentor is already there, nearly. He'll train her up a bit and probably send her back out as reinforcement."

"And then when Neji arrives—"

"Exactly!" Anko grinned and Shikamaru immediately felt a chill run down his spine. "We'll send Gai over, and it'll be the Might Squad all over again!" she crowed.

Shikamaru groaned, falling back into his chair. He slouched for a few seconds before he sat straight up.

"Wait, her _mentor_? You don't mean—"

* * *

"Hatake?" Tenten breathed in disbelief. "What the hell is he doing here in the Main Hall?"

And as nice as it was to finally see a familiar face, she just _knew_ that something was wrong.

"Tenten!" he smiled. "Just the girl I wanted to see!"

Kakashi had called her a girl only twice in the past, and it made something stir deep within the confines of her chest.

"Hey, this is Moegi and this is Naruto Jr." Kakashi nodded, offering his hand for a shake, but Tenten batted it away. "Don't be silly, Moegi and Naruto Jr. have to go now, I hear Moegi's dad calling." She shooed them off in the direction of the girl's father, then turned to Kakashi.

He looked her over. "You've grown."

Tenten turned around uncomfortably and jerked her head. "C'mon, let's head to the practice pitch," she suggested, and Kakashi followed closely behind.

They reached the walled-in empty field and Kakashi's eyes flashed. He drew his tanto with the ringing sound of metal sliding on metal and raced towards Tenten, who flipped backwards to escape the wide arc of his attack.

"Weaponless? What happened to the Tenten I know?" he inquired as attacking his student was a common occurrence.

Really, it was, so Tenten grinned wolfishly and laughed aloud at the sound of clashing metal when she pulled out her own thigh-length blade from its concealment in her pant leg and she swung.

They fought over the center of the pitch, first Kakashi gaining ground, then Tenten beating him back blow for blow.

"How's Neji?"

"Still an insufferable bastard, I imagine."

"Naruto?"

"Probably hyper as hell."

"Any new piercings?"

"Wouldn't you like to know… Any new tattoos?"

"Nope."

And then Tenten struck in earnest, occupying his tanto with the blade and pushing him back, inch by inch, while the other hand reached for the dagger in her boot. She reacted automatically to a flash of metal in the corner of her eye, turning so that Kakashi would receive the blow instead while driving the knife up under his ribcage.

Then she blinked at the sight of a white blade protruding from Kakashi's shoulder.

Kakashi coughed, hacking out viscous blood before he collapsed.

"Hello, Hatake-sensei," Tenten greeted.

The owner of the white blade walked up, pulling back his hood to reveal a shock of gray hair, a half-covered face, and a black bandana pulled down over one eye.

"He tries to take the place of the Copycat Rogue, yet never notices that the Copycat Rogue has taken the place of his assistant, his own son," Kakashi scoffed, yanking his tanto out of the dead man's body.

"I see you're doing just fine, little lady," Kakashi bowed, and Tenten scowled at the nickname.

"Come along, we've got to find the Mess Hall," Kakashi crowed with glee at exploring a new place, ignoring that Tenten probably already knew where to go.

Tenten rolled her eyes as he walked off in exactly the correct direction, somehow already knowing his way around Base. She retrieved her own weapons and put them away, then hefted the dead man over her shoulder and took off after her mentor.

"Hello, Lee-kun!" Kakashi sang, and Lee ran over to bump fists with Tenten and take the corpse from her.

"Been a while," Tenten smiled, and Lee grinned back morbidly, shifting the dead weight for a more comfortable grip.

"Sakura's here too."

Tenten flinched. "Is she all right?" and she winced again at the stupid question.

Understanding, Lee smiled. "No, but she will be."

"By the way," Kakashi called over his shoulder, already at the directionally correct exit from the courtyard-like practice field. "Anko sends a message."

"Mitarashi-sensei?" Tenten exclaimed, pushing her worries for Sakura into the back of her mind for dealing with later.

"Yeah, she says to anticipate Medea," Kakashi called half-heartedly, far more interesting in skipping through the door, singing about the wonders of Mess Hall shrimp.

At his words, Tenten stopped dead in her tracks. Lee skidded to a stop as well, and turned to look at her, readjusting the man slung over his shoulder.

"Everything all right, Tenten?" he asked.

Then a frightening smile grew on Tenten's face, baring her teeth and hardening her eyes.

"Hell yeah," she breathed, walking on, smirk never leaving her lips.

* * *

Shikamaru groaned in apprehension as he stepped back from the frame.

"Aw god, I'm fucked."

* * *

-End Chapter 1-


	3. Chapter 2

"Oh, Sora-chan, you're back!" Yashamaru exclaimed in surprise. "I thought you were off on a school fieldtrip!"

Sora brushed off her uncle and went immediately to the kitchen. She tossed her bag up on the counter and Yashamaru flinched at the harsh sound of metal clanging on metal.

"Sora-chan? Are you okay?"

Sora continued to ignore him in favor of gathering up a package of hardtack and another of dried, salted beef, throwing both into a front pocket on her bag. Then she selected a small, shallow frying pan and threw it into the main pocket. Yashamaru cringed again as metal scraped against metal and threw himself in front of the doorway when Sora tried to leave.

"Sora-chan, what's wrong with you? What's going on?"

Sora looked her uncle straight in the eyes and he shivered at the cold indifference deep within them.

"I'm leaving, Yashamaru-san," she answered, bowing stiffly.

"Sora-chan, what are you doing?" he asked hysterically. "Why are you bowing to me? I thought we were friends!"

"I apologize, Yashamaru-san," she replied, bowing formally once more and ducking under his outstretched arm while he gaped.

She went upstairs to her room, reached back into her closet and pulled out a cardboard box, tossing it carelessly onto her pale green blanket. Yashamaru soon stumbled through the door and watched in shock as she pulled off her pastel blue cardigan and skirt, then her soft pink blouse and her light lavender camisole. Underneath were layers upon layers of bandages, all soaked through with red. Yashamaru swayed as a metallic smell permeated the room.

Blood.

Sora smirked wanly at his expression, hissing slightly as she unwrapped the bandages and moved on to remove her white leggings and the strips of gauze beneath.

"S-Sora-chan, what happened?" Yashamaru asked, going into hysterics as her wounds were revealed, and he stood frozen in horror while Sora went into the bathroom and washed up. Soon, he was picking the soiled bandages off of the floor and the bedspread and disposing of them properly in the waste bin by the door.

Sora came out of the bathroom, bandaged up once more, and eyed Yashamaru's effort at salvaging her bloodstained linens with disdain.

"Don't bother, I'm not coming back."

Yashamaru looked at her once more in shock.

"B-but Sora-chan—"

"But _nothing_, Yashamaru-san. Or should I say _Sergeant_ Yashamaru-taichou," she snarked, watching in amusement as Yashamaru immediately closed himself off, standing up straight and adopting a neutral expression.

"Who told you?" he inquired with a deceptively calm tone.

Sora turned her back on him and worked on prying the box open.

"I asked, _who told you?_" Yashamaru demanded, with his voice dangerously level and his crisp syllables seeming sharp.

"You can learn anything if you listen, especially when you're in the Third Division," she remarked coolly, preparing herself for an attack as she felt the ominous rustle of cloth behind her.

"You have no clearance to know of the existence of the Third Division," Yashamaru warned, voice frighteningly close to Sora's ear and whispering harshly. "_How_ did you know?"

Sora tossed something back over her shoulder and Yashamaru reflexively caught it. He stared at the bit of metal in his hand with wide eyes, his impassive faҫade crumbling away.

"Th-this is—"

"Indeed, Sergeant Yashamaru-taichou, that is a government seal," Sora said, finally ripping the box open. She fished out a pair of black, knee-length cargo shorts, a netted half-sleeve shirt, and a midnight purple tank top. After laying them out on the bed, she turned and Yashamaru's eyebrows knitted.

"Are you injured up _there_ as well?" he inquired, gesturing toward Sora's bandaged chest.

"This? No, it's wrapped up, because, as I said, I'm _leaving_."

"What for?" he asked, eyeing her new outfit critically. "And you are _not_ leaving the house like that, young lady. That is not clothing befit a delicate miss."

"And _that_ is exactly why I'm going. I'm _tired_, Yashamaru—I don't want to deal with this anymore because I don't _have_ to."

"What do you mean, you 'don't have to'?"

"That seal is _mine_," she replied, taking back the seal and fastening it around her neck. She fingered the ring's engraved surface and tipped some sealing wax onto a paper on her bureau, pressing the top of the seal against it and peeling it away after a few seconds.

"The butterfly," Yashamaru acknowledge after glancing at the imprint.

"Look closer," Sora prompted.

"The… moth," Yashamaru corrected, and Sora smiled.

"I'm not a thing to be looked at, I'm a perfectly capable human being, and a government merc, now, Yashamaru-san," Sora elaborated, perching on the edge of her mattress and leaning over to lace up her sturdy black military-issue boots.

"A-a soldier?"

"Of the Third Division," Sora nodded.

"But _I'm_ in charge of your section of the Third Division," Yashamaru declared, and Sora smiled.

"Well, see, that's the beauty of it. As it turns out, my chakra signature doesn't match that of 'Warami Sora'. You know whose it _does_ match?"

Evidently, he did, as his face paled and he moved to lock the door. The window slid shut too, and he gulped as he came close to contact with a floating mass of sand.

"And by the way, locking a child in a closet until his own inherent magic, or, as you called it, his 'freakiness' goes away _isn't_ really the best way to bond," she commented with sarcasm. "Beating his brother till he bleeds isn't the greatest thing to do, either."

"H-how do you know about hi—" Yashamaru paused midsentence and quickly changed subject. "What are you planning to do, then? Will you fight alongside me in the Third Division?"

"You wish," Sora scoffed. "But I'm not staying. I've got better places to be."

"Such as where?" Yashamaru inquired, and he immediately regretted it at the dark shadow that passed over Sora's features as she shoved the rest of the contents of the box into her pack.

"Such as by the side of _Subaku no Temari's_ siblings," she answered flatly.

"So you know?"

"No thanks to you."

Sora barely blinked at the dagger that suddenly appeared in her face, a tendril of sand wrapped around Yashamaru from toe to finger to keep him just far enough that he couldn't touch her. Then she pulled a knife from her bag and slashed it across his chest.

"That's a reminder for you so you never forget me, Yashamaru-kun!" she exclaimed. Then she slung her pack over her shoulder and forced open the window. Breathing in the hot Konohan air, she spared one last glance toward the uncle she thought she loved before slipping out the window and dropping to the hard-packed earth of the street below.

She straightened up, adjusting the strap of her bag, and looked up to come face-to-face with another companion.

"Kani."

"What, no 'Iroku-kun'?" he asked, looking hurt. "What's wrong, my flower?"

"Well, look who else decided to show up," Sora snarked. "Come to take care of me and 'fix' me?"

"What's happened to your clothes and your hair, honey?"

Sora was surprised he'd even noticed that instead of loose, pale blue ringlets, her hair was now kinky and a dusty blond. Her clothing was a dead giveaway, but he had yet to remark on her eyes.

"At least your eyes are the same color as they've always been," he sighed, glad for small allowances.

Sora smirked.

"That's where you're wrong, Iroku dear. My eyes have always been dark blue. They're _teal_ now."

"Same difference, what does it matter, Sora-chan?"

"It matters a lot, especially because I'm 'Temari-san' now. Don't you dare touch me or try anything on me."

"Why would I do anything like that?"

"Because I've always been the 'fair and weak sex' to you, Kani, haven't I? You've always underestimated me, taken advantage of me, and you're not going to anymore."

Iroku's expression changed to something darker, more animalistic. "And why is that?"

In a flash, Sora had her still-bloodied blade up against Iroku's neck. He gulped and his Adam's apple pressed uncomfortably firmly against the sharp metal. Sora grimaced at the sixteen-year-old's ruffled blond hair and at the freckles slowly growing more and more pronounced against his pasty skin as he continued to pale.

"Because I'm in the Third Division of the infantry and you're only in the Eighth. Stand down, soldier, or I'll be forced to take more desperate measures."

Iroku nodded slightly, trying not to slice himself open.

"And don't worry, you won't see me again," Sora remarked, stepping back and taking out a cloth to wipe her dagger with.

"Why's that?"

"Because I was never a Warami. I'm Subaku no Temari, and I've already turned my file in to the President." Sora knew full well the President wouldn't even bother with her file until someone alerted him to her defection.

"I'm headed to meet up with people who actually matter to me. Don't you dare try to follow me, Kani, I'll kill you if I do because I am _never _returning to my stupid life here." Sora held her dagger firmly and hooked the tip into the seal's opening and twisted. "Good luck trying to track me down, but you won't find me." She readjusted her knife to repeat the action. "I doubt you'll want to find me either."

One more jerk and the seal's inner engraving was scraped off completely. So was the attached tracking device that marked her as 'ally from Suna camp'. Sora fastened the mangled seal around her neck as an identifying symbol that marked her as a defector.

"I'm Subaku no Temari now, and it would do you good to remember it," Temari growled, and she turned to go, crushing Iroku's outstretched hand as she did so.

"Temari-san!" Yashamaru called.

Temari launched a smaller pocketknife backwards and was satisfied by the resounding cry of pain.

"Reminder for you too, Kani. I'll aim to kill next time."

And without even a backwards glance, Subaku no Temari raced to the edge of the village and plunged into the thick vegetation of the lush forests surrounding Konoha.

* * *

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

Breathe.

Repeat.

So simple, so why wasn't his body responding? Instead, he was frozen in place, staring at the mark on the inside of his wrist. He was thinking about its significance, its repercussions, and it was just _too much thinking._

It was times such as those that he really envied Uzumaki's effortless ability to shut off his brain and just _act_.

But Yamanaka was dead. That was one less carrier, and the loss of a companion in the identical predicament that put he, Uzumaki, and Hyūga in the same boat. Sometimes they all needed to shut down and reboot. They also rarely got the chance.

Just where _were_ they? He could barely sense their energy presences on the fringes of his consciousness, but he could tell they were all definitely there.

If he had chakra to spare, he could even track down their exact locations.

Instead, he was trapped while his mind began to turn off.

"Now, Uchiha-kun, where do you think you're going?"

Sasuke pushed through the thorny hedges of his mind and, through the cotton surrounding his brain, forcibly delivered, "I need a breath of fresh air" in a detached tone.

Belatedly, Sasuke realized he'd said too much, but Yakushi-san seemed to be pleased, so Sasuke didn't bother with understanding and focused more on movement.

Where had all his chakra disappeared to? The lack of energy left him more aloof than usual. Sluggish and slow to comprehend, he hoped he could dodge any testing events.

And still he imagined himself a stone wall, impregnable but gaining hairline fractures.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

Breathe.

Repeat.

* * *

Gold.

The sun was molten gold, and it had Temari entranced.

It called to her, beckoned her closer, but she had no chance of reaching it.

Not with her sandy hair and her murky eyes, not with her fractured heart and her crippled soul.

But maybe, just _maybe_, with a heart hard as diamond and eyes like jade, hair like fire and a will of steel—

Maybe she had a chance.

* * *

"Lieutenant sir! I have a message from Sergeant Yashamaru!"

"Report, soldier," Kabuto ordered, and the messenger stood upright and delivered his message.

"Corporal Sabaku no Temari of the Third Division has discovered, sir."

"And current status?"

"She has defected, sir."

Kabuto cursed and Sasuke remembered.

Agent Sabaku no Temari was an enigma. Unlike the other government mercenaries, she didn't derive satisfaction from following orders like a trained dog and receiving treats after success. She constantly questioned and defied authority, but she also seemed to always know when she was about to go too far.

And now she was a defector. What an intriguing development.

"_Ne, Sasuke-kun, what do you think about chakra?"_

"_It's called _magic_."_

"_Don't be mean to her, she was just asking a question!"_

"_P-please calm down, g-give him some t-t-time."_

And now he was paying in blood for opening the floodgates, even just a crack.

"_Sasuke-kun, will you ever forget me-us?"_

"_Uchiha would be a fool to."_

"_Yeah, the bastard wouldn't do that to us."_

"_We should all p-p-promise not t-to forget."_

And memories were fatal distractions.

Sasuke sealed himself off once more, repaired the crack and relaxed at the sight of smooth slate.

It was imperative that his memories stayed sealed away.

* * *

"So where are you headed?" the woman asked with a smile.

"I don't know," Temari answered. She'd been tempted to just grunt, but all she'd seen in her mind's eye was a wall, so she refrained.

"Wherever you're headed, it's refreshing to see an energy manipulator coming through here," the woman's companion commented from his seat at the kitchen table, scrutinizing Temari's seal.

"I only wish my powers were more easily manipulated," she drawled out cautiously. "But they do say it all rests in energy control."

"Well, they all say magic comes from outside," the woman mused.

"And chakra comes from within," Temari and the man finished in unison.

"I'm Subaku no Temari, of the Resistance of Suna."

"Yūhi Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma," the woman answered. "Formerly of Konoha. We're stationed here from the Second Branch, and we're here to help."

Temari nodded. "I need bandages and gauze."

"Plasters or wrap-arounds?"

"Wrapping."

Kurenai nodded and moved to the next room. Temari turned to Asuma.

"Do you have a whetstone?"

Asuma nodded and offered to sharpen for her, but Temari turned down his offer nearly immediately. At the sight of her weaponry, Asuma led her to a shed with no further insisting. Past the central room with the main whetstone, he led her through a panel into a back room with a whetstone made of black stone. He fingered the meticulously sharpened knuckle blades hanging from the wall and turned at her nod.

Asuma left her to sharpen on her own, closing the door carefully behind him so the golden light of her energy signature would stay contained as she sharpened the chakra-matched metal.

* * *

Sasuke was disgusted by the incompetence displayed by the officers in his regiment.

Really, they claimed to be masters at observation, and yet they insisted on glossing over his abrupt and drastic weight loss as "minor". Neither did they take heed of the bags that suddenly appeared under his eyes, nor the _multiple_ times he'd nearly passed out throughout the course of the past two days.

It made his life easier, but it also made him feel strangely underappreciated, considering that Commander Orochimaru had such an interest in him.

"Uchiha-san, Commander wants you to get your ass in his office," another messenger called. Sasuke waved him off and began the arduous task of jogging uphill to the Commander's office.

An hour later, Sasuke exited feeling mentally drained, and even as he nearly tumbled downhill, he struggled to picture nothing but a solid wall.

His mind strayed for a second, but all that poured through the crack in his focus was a thin trickle of sand before he patched up the hairline fracture.

Then he collapsed and all was swallowed into the security of darkness.

* * *

**-**End Chapter Two-


	4. Chapter 3

It was much too silent in the infirmary, Tenten noted as she resisted the urge to fidget. Lee had forced her to finally get her ankle looked at, and Kakashi was currently putting it back into order with a touch of basic medical jutsu.

Tenten sighed in relief while Lee cringed as her bones popped back into place with a sickening crack. She traced the snake on her wrist pensively while Kakashi wrapped her ankle up to keep it from shifting back out of place.

She turned to Lee.

"Hey, how's your wrist?" she inquired. "How badly did it hurt this time?"

Lee looked up at her, wide eyes mournful. "Truthfully? It felt like my arm was on fire. Then I found Sakura and I ignored it."

Tenten nodded. "Good."

"How about you?"

"After Mitarashi-sensei and Hatake-sensei, there isn't much that really hurts anymore," Tenten shrugged. Lee smiled wanly and went to the other room to check up on Sakura.

"Little lady," Kakashi called to get Tenten's attention. She turned from the door to focus her attention on him. "Maybe we shouldn't have trained you so much physically. Maybe we should have focused on your brain instead, if you're going to be a moron."

Tenten winced at Kakashi's frank way of speaking and apologized.

Kakashi rose slowly to his feet. "It's fixed. Just try not to fight on it," he instructed, and Tenten flushed in anger and shame at the knowing twinkle in his uncovered eye.

"Now, what do you say to an outside excursion with Sakura and Lee?"

Tenten very much liked that idea, so they got permission from the nurses to take their patient out, and while Sakura insisted on walking, Kakashi snuck behind her with a wheelchair and strapped her in.

Too drained to fight physically, Sakura argued weakly as they wheeled her out to the training fields.

* * *

"Oi! Lazy-ass!"

"Yeah?"

"C'mere!"

"Now?"

"Whaddya think, genius?"

Shikamaru groaned. _Troublesome._ He unfolded himself from the chair and plodded over to Anko with the grace of a tranquilized gazelle. Anko grinned wolfishly at him as he approached.

"What do you want?"

"What's a twelve-letter word for simple?"

"Meretricious."

"And a happy New Year," Anko muttered. "The word?"

Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag… It's M-E-R-E-T-R-I-C-I-O-U-S. Meretricious. Meaning simple, basic, elementary."

Anko nodded.

And then she smiled.

"…Run that by again?"

Shikamaru ignored her in favor of trudging over to Chouji's reclining form.

"Chou?"

"What's up?"

"Mitarashi-san is being Mitarashi-san."

Chouji grinned. "Since when do you whine?"

Shikamaru groaned.

* * *

Tenten sprawled out on the grass next to Sakura and sighed. Lee sat down on the other side of their pink-haired friend and Kakashi leaned against the tree that was giving them shade.

"When did spring get here?" Sakura wondered aloud, feeling the grass beneath her fingertips while the gentle breeze played with her hair.

"I'm not sure," Tenten replied. "I woke up one morning after I got here and the sky was blue."

Lee nodded. "I didn't notice until I got out here."

Kakashi looked up momentarily from the book he was reading.

"March twenty-first, the spring solstice," he remarked, flipping the page.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Hatake-sensei?"

"Hmmm?"

"Shut up."

Sakura giggled and Lee chuckled as Kakashi answered, "Whatever you say, little lady," before turning back to his literature.

Sakura groaned. "Kakashi-sensei, you're not reading _that_ trash again, are you?"

Kakashi grinned, the edges of his mask wrinkling under the force of it.

"_Trash_, you say? How would you know? Have _you_ read it, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura flushed and Tenten snorted in amusement.

* * *

"Hey, Mitarashi-san?" Chouji called, coming up the stairs from the basement where Shikamaru had been cooped up for weeks with few breaks in between.

"Wassup, Chou-boy?" she responded.

"Where's Gai-sensei?" he inquired, struggling with the kitchen door.

"In th' kitchen," she shrugged.

"In _here_?" He pointed at the door.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I was going to warn him _not_ to go in there," Chouji grimaced.

"Wha—why?"

"Because there's a big hole about to open up in there and Shikamaru doesn't want to see him."

At that precise moment, Chouji heard a yell that sounded distinctly like Shikamaru's come from downstairs.

His shoulders slumped.

"Damn."

* * *

Tenten yawned, stretching out on the grass. They'd stayed outside nearly the whole day and it was coming upon night. She heard Kakashi shifting and Lee stood up. He started to wheel a slumbering Sakura inside.

She felt a hand sneak under her bent knees and another support her shoulders and neck.

She protested weakly, mumbling through a yawn, but Kakashi silenced her with a skeptical look. She fell limp in his arms and allowed him to carry her inside. He softly deposited her on her bed and turned to go.

"Hatake-sensei?" she murmured.

Kakashi cocked his head to show he was listening.

"Thanks," she said sincerely.

Kakashi nodded without turning around and left the room silently.

Tenten pulled the blanket over her body and sighed.

None of them were perfect, but they were all trying and that was what was important.

* * *

Anko snorted.

"Ya mean ta tell me tha' Ol' Gray is tellin' off th' lil' lady?"

Shikamaru nodded, a ghost of a smirk on his lips as he watched Chouji sweep up and Anko cackle.

"Hey, Shika, can you pass me the dustpan?"

Shikamaru reached for the dustpan and passed it off to Chouji. He shook his head at Chouji's goofy smile, but paused when his eyes went to his wrist.

"It's not going to disappear." Anko's voice was subdued.

"No. I know. I-" Shikamaru looked away.

"That's the worst part," Chouji finished. "That it's there forever."

"Look on the bright side. There are more people who _aren't_ gone," Anko grinned. "Now _there's_ my pink-haired missy!"

Shikamaru followed her eyes to the frame with a rosette of small emeralds in the oval's lowest point. In it, he could see Lee looking tired. His eyes wandered to the square peridot-studded frame near the other end of the wall. Through it, he saw Sakura's distinctive pink hair. She looked straight towards the room's occupants, or so it seemed, and Shikamaru saw her lips form his name.

He pushed himself out of his heat and took a few steps forward. He whispered a few words and as the surface turned reflective, he put his fingers to it and closed his eyes. He sifted through the strands of thought until he found the most recent, then he went upstream to its source before sliding in and seeing the world through Lee's eyes.

_Sakura was looking right at him, straight up into his eyes._

_"Shikamaru-"  
_

_She paused.  
_

_"You know I'm-" her voice cracked and she turned aside momentarily, fighting back tears.  
_

_She looked back up and her eyes told him all he needed to know.  
_

_"I'm sorry," she whispered.  
_

_I'm sorry, her eyes shouted._

* * *

-End Chapter 3-


	5. Chapter 4

_What now?_

_We wait._

**_What for?_**

_An end._

Sora yawned and stretched before sitting up. She blinked sleepily and looked around. Upon realizing she wasn't sure where she was, she gripped her head between two white-knuckled hands and began to shake.

**_Where are we?_**

_I don't know._

_We came calmly._

**_No hostility._**

_Are we among friends?_

Sora opened up her eyes and hobbled to the window, then she fell to the ground as a wall opened within her head and inky darkness assaulted her mind.

* * *

Broken.

His head was broken, it had to be, nothing else could explain why he felt cold fire and burning ice, bright darkness and dark light, why everything shattered like liquid molasses and melted like cracked stone—

The wall. He'd opened the wall, and now he was paying for it.

He stumbled to his feet and pushed shut the gap.

* * *

Temari awoke with a gasp. It all came back to her in a rush.

_Asuma, Kurenai, from the Konohan faction._

**_We escaped!_**

_Time to move on._

Temari closed her eyes and lingered sadly on the solid wall that stood forebodingly, closing off the silky white oblivion that still fought to overwhelm her.

Then she opened her eyes and started to pack up her things.

**_Off we go._**

* * *

Sasuke panted, trying not to let any sound escape him even as each harsh breath jostled his ribs and shifted his dislocated arm. Kabuto ran at him again and tapped the side of his ribcage that had suffered the most damage, backing the strike with a boost of magical energy. The rolling pain exploded and he felt liquid fire run down to his leg.

Kabuto lunged again and Sasuke pulled his good arm up to block. With a swift change in attack, Kabuto fractured his ulna and jumped back, readjusting his glasses with a finger.

"You know," Kabuto smirked, "there's a lot about _magic_ you have yet to learn.

Sasuke groaned inwardly, out of exasperation rather than the pain he was ignoring.

"But there's more still that _we _can learn from _you_ about this… 'chakra'," Kabuto mused, looking at his own palms.

Sasuke grunted. "I've taught you all I know," he replied.

"Oh, I don't doubt that. It's not much, but it's enough," Kabuto answered, and Sasuke felt vaguely insulted. "But the one thing you haven't shown us is how _you_ use your 'chakra'."

"I never learned to fight with it, I've only been shown technique."

Kabuto grinned, and Sasuke cursed himself.

"Ah, but see, Uchiha-kun—We only showed you magical _technique_, and yet you beat some of our best within a week of practice. You learned about chakra for years, so you must know _something_," Kabuto sneered.

Sasuke cursed inwardly again; Kabuto was playing on his pride.

But if he could just show them _one_ technique, maybe they'd stop pestering him—

* * *

_NO._

**_Did he just—_**

_How do we stop him?_

_Yell at him, like you did. He'll hear if you put enough force in it to send it through the cracks._

Temari closed her eyes and threw her figurative self at the wall in her mind, trying to open up her peephole a bit more.

**_I can't believe he was even considering that!_**

_He is desperate._

_I _have_ to stop him._

When the wall refused to budge, Temari pulled herself back and gathered up her chakra. She focused it upon her vocal chords and faced the crack in the wall.

And she shouted.

And then she waited.

* * *

Sasuke jumped as a voice echoed in his head.

Had he just considered giving in? Sasuke shook his head clear and stood up straight, smirking. He muttered under his breath, using some magic to heal up the fracture line in his forearm, then he gripped his other arm and wrenched it back into its socket with a dizzying jolt of pain. He magicked the hairline cracks in his ribs and sealed them up, then he turned to face Kabuto.

"With all due respect, Yakushi-san, perhaps you are overestimating my abilities. Either way," he grinned nastily, "only Commander Orochimaru has the clearance to ask of me my knowledge. Or have you forgotten, _Sergeant_?"

Kabuto recoiled as though he'd been hit, then he gathered himself stiffly.

"That will be all for today, Uchiha."

Sasuke grinned inwardly. He closed his eyes for split second, and his mental depiction appeared at the chip in his wall. He peeked through momentarily and saw green eyes and a wide smile. He pulled back and grinned.

_Soon._

* * *

-End Chapter Four-


	6. Chapter 5

"Mitarashi-sensei!"

"Hey now, girlie, if I call you 'Tenten', I expect that ya do the same."

"Call you 'Tenten'?" Tenten snarked, and the two of them laughed heartily.

"God, I missed you an' yer spunk an' shit, ya smart aleck," Anko declared as she elbowed Kakashi aside. "Now go an' leave us ladies to have us some girl time!"

She winked and Kakashi fled. Tenten smirked at Anko's exaggeratedly mischievous expression.

"Thank god we got rid of 'im. Now, where were we?"

"News of Base," Tenten prompted.

"Yeah, Chou-boy an' Lazy-ass are fine an' shit, but Lazy's been doin' little but checkin' those mirrors of his an' constantly askin' Chou-boy for reminders."

"And soberly?"

"Aw, you're no fun," Anko complained.

"_Soberly_?"Tenten pressed.

"Soberly?" Anko ran a hand across the back of her neck and sighed. "Soberly, Akimichi is at his wit's end trying to keep Nara from going off the deep end."

Tenten groaned, massaging her temples with the pads of her fingers.

"What triggered it?"

"He was muttering something about bells and tattoos, which are a bad mix in my experience," Anko grimaced.

"Same here, because it most likely means he's beating himself up over Ino's death," Tenten muttered. "Isn't that right?" she asked the sky.

"Woah, woah, darling Yamanaka is _dead_?" Anko inquired, hoping she had heard wrong.

"Yeah. She's gone," Tenten clarified, uncharacteristically quiet.

Anko fidgeted, unsure of how to deal with the newest development. Tenten's eyebrows raised at her apparent discomfort, and Anko shrugged.

"I didn't want to believe it when Akimichi told me."

Tenten smiled wanly. "Well, it's the truth."

A moment passed and Anko's expression brightened as she brought up a fierce smile. "There's nuttin' we can do now, and we got company, so it's time ta' go, darlin'. We'll make it through, we always have."

Tenten rolled her eyes, amused, and called for Anko to follow her as she jogged toward an exit from the Entrance Hall.

"Where're we goin'?"

"You'll see."

A few minutes later, Anko swept Sakura up in a hug, discomfited by the girl's sobbing but determined to help her mentee recover as best as she could.

"Hey there, girlie," Anko murmured, sitting at Sakura's bedside. Tenten perched on the foot of her bed and Anko smiled gently, a sharp contrast from her usual wide and toothy grins.

"Aren't _you_ lucky?" Tenten teased.

"How so?" Sakura sniffed, eloquently concise even in the deepest slumps.

"You got Medea an' Athena here with ya ta' mourn Circes," Anko chuckled, "so get yer ugly face on, Medusa, 'cos we got some ass ta' kick!"

It was exactly the right thing to say.

* * *

Shikamaru yawned, watching the clouds.

Chouji came out of the main building and called to him. Shikamaru waved his companion off but Chouji approached him instead.

"Shouldn't you be inside?"

"Nah, Chou, it's all taken care of. Tenten and Sakura are with Anko, Lee is training with Kakashi, and Nej, Kiba, and Shino set up camp to rest."

"Kiba got separated again, though, remember?"

Shikamaru cursed. "Dammit. I guess I'll have to go back into that hellhole."

Chouji watched his friend jog back to the building with a mixture of pride and melancholy. It was unjust that Shikamaru had to lead. Sighing, he looked up and asked the clouds, "Why?"

* * *

"So how's Control?" Sakura inquired. Tenten quickly flashed a warning glance at Anko, who nodded and grinned toothily.

"Chou-boy's cookin' is amazin', an' Gai'll be headin' over soon—"

"What about Shikamaru?" Sakura cut in, green eyes sharp. Anko started a reply and Sakura interrupted again. "_Soberly_."

"Soberly? The idiot is still smoking," Anko muttered. "I can't take a breath of fresh air unless I go outside."

"Chain smoking?" At Anko's nod, Sakura scowled. "The moron. I think we'll need to go teach him a lesson. Too bad we don't have—" She caught herself abruptly and choked out, "Circes and Artemis."

She let out a strangled sob and Anko immediately reminded her, "You've got Artemis—I mean Athena and Medea—" Sakura shook, mourning the painful absence of her sisters. Tenten reached forward and gathered Sakura in an embrace.

"Demeter sends news that she encountered Hekate," Anko supplied, hoping to salvage the situation.

And although it was necessary, it was precisely the wrong thing to mention.

* * *

"They're back online," Shikamaru murmured.

"What was that?" Chouji asked, moving closer.

"They're back online," Shikamaru repeated feverishly.

"What are?"

"Chou, _they're back online!_" Shikamaru exclaimed, slumping back bonelessly in his seat. "Temari and Kankurou—they're _back_!" he cried.

Chouji's eyes widened.

"Thank god."

* * *

Anko and Tenten had left Lee to console Sakura. They approached the information center, talking.

"Tenten-san!" the boy with scarf and goggles greeted, and Tenten nodded a reply back.

"Anko-sensei, I'd like you to meet Naruto Jr.," Tenten said, smirking.

Anko's mouth fell open.

"The brat had _kids_?" she exclaimed in morbid amazement.

"Nah, I just call him that because they've got the same intelligence levels."

"Naruto-san must be amazing, then," the boy cut in. "And my name is _Konohamaru_," he corrected.

Anko stared at him.

"Yeah, 'Naruto Jr.' is a great name fer 'im!"

At the boy's groan, Anko grinned, causing him to seek shelter behind Tenten.

"Don't worry, kid, I've gotcha'. Come on, show me where th' grub is!"

Grumbling and more than a little frightened, Konohamaru reluctantly led Anko away to the Mess Hall.

* * *

Shikamaru soaked in the experience, carefully catologuing different sensations for later study.

Feeling a faraway tap on his body's shoulder, he withdrew slightly and took a half-step away from the frame. He picked up Chouji's faint, "—starting to worry me—" and took a half-step forward, re-immersing himself in the world of memory.

He thought and pondered as he passively experienced what was around him, dipping into some rivulets and letting others flow past him.

Memory's stream was just that, Shikamaru mused. You could sail down it, taste it and see and feel and hear it, _experience_ it, but you could also change it, affect it, and most interestingly, you could _drown_ in it too. Sometimes they were trickles, sometimes they came in deluges and floods, but the number one rule was that no matter the memory, no two peoples' would ever be identical, just as no two rivers could ever be alike in entirety.

And Shikamaru realized what he'd been missing with a jolt that sent him back to his own body.

Temari and Kankurou's memories of the past month were the _exact same._

* * *

-End Chapter Five-


	7. Chapter 6

"And that'll be all, thank you," Temari smiled at the vendor owner. Walking away, she bit into a crisp green apple, savoring the tart sweetness.

_The man standing near the restaurant is approaching. He's been tailing us since the dumpling vendor._

**_There's an alley coming up on the right, I think I spotted a fire escape ladder going up to the roof on our last pass._**

Temari groaned.

Casually drifting over to the opposite side of the street, she surreptitiously scanned the pedestrians around her. When she was sure that none of them had any skill, magic or chakra, she slipped into the alleyway as a crowd of people passed her by.

She slid the half-eaten apple into her knapsack and slung it over her shoulders as she walked down the length of the alley. Upon arrival at the fire escape, she gripped a bar and pulled herself up until she could get a proper foothold.

Clambering up the rusted metal, Temari kept an eye on the far end of the alley, watching for any pursuers.

_There he is._

**_And he's got friends. Shit._**

_And my foot is slipping. Double shit._

Muttering curses, Temari quickly readjusted her footing and her grip, scaling the last few feet of ladder just as her pursuer spotted her.

_Something about their chakra is familiar._

_They've got chakra? Fantastic._

**_Only the faintest traces of magic._**

Temari stumbled, her mind filling with a barrage of images.

_Ashes, there are ashes, why is there so much fire? Why is it so hot? Everywhere, it's everywhere, bright and hot and dark and hot it's too much what is this—_

Numbly, she felt herself falling.

And blackness swallowed her.

* * *

Sasuke grimaced as he magicked his wounds shut. First the gash in his thigh, then the gaping hole in his side, the broken ribs, the fractured shinbone, and the myriad of scrapes scoring his back.

Task complete, he sighed in relief, cursing Kabuto and mentally reviewing magic Theory.

Magic was a component of life and ran through every living thing. It rushed through every vein and was harnessable as a force rather than energy. You could heal wounds by bathing the area in magic in order to hold it shut and knit it together with the strands of magic that held life together.

Magic as an offensive measure was used as a physical addition, covering limbs as a buffer or scrambling the strings of magic inherent in an opponent.

Chakra was an energy, an idea.

Magic was a force, a physical thing.

That was the most basic difference between the two, as far as Sasuke could tell.

And that was how he would always explain it to Orochimaru.

Chakra was energy.

Magic was force.

And Orochimaru would take it one step further; energy powers force. Magic is the next step up from chakra; magic is superior.

Of course, Sasuke would always silently maintain that without energy, there is no force, just as when there is no support, the leadership fails.

And when the leadership fails, it is up to the people to take over.

And when a leadership is corrupt, the people must rise through the cracks to take control.

_Soon._

* * *

"Hey, are you all right there?"

Sora rubbed her head. "Ow, that hurts," she frowned. "What happened? How did I get here?"

She looked up and accepted the strong hand that pulled her to her feet. Taking another look at her helper, she paused as every part of her screamed that the teen in front of her was familiar.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

The boy raked a hand through his messy blond hair with a sheepish grin. "Um, you passed by me a couple of times in the street. My name's Naruto." He held out a hand to shake.

Sora froze.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah. What's wrong? Do you recognize the name?"

Sora slowly shook her head. "I don't think so, but I feel like I should."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, well, it's no big if we _have_ met before. I like meeting new people, so let's just say we're meeting for the first time, no big."

Sora nodded and took the proffered hand.

"Warami Sora."

"Uzumaki Naruto. You don't look like you're from around here, Warami-san."

"No, I'm not. Where am I?"

"We're in Tanigakure, in Kawa no Kuni, the Land of Rivers."

Sora's jaw dropped. "I'm _that_ far from home?"

"You don't remember?"

"No," Sora answered in horror. "I don't remember."

* * *

The wall was locked.

While there always was one in place, this obstruction was festooned with padlocks, combination locks, time-release locks, barrier seals, and all manner of secondary and tertiary defense against penetration.

"Fuck," Sasuke swore under his breath. "What do I do now?"

"Is something the matter, Sasuke-kun?"

Kabuto melted away from the shadows, adjusting his glasses and rolling a senbon between the fingers on his other hand.

Sasuke cursed inwardly before shaking his head.

Kabuto smiled. "Good. It certainly wouldn't do to disappoint the esteemed Uchiha prodigy, would it?" he asked rhetorically. "Good day, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke grunted a farewell as Kabuto slipped back into the shadows. Turning sharply, he walked down the hall to the exit, fully intent on returning to his own lodgings.

He exited, nodding to some of his fellow soldiers as he passed, then used the pathways between tents in order to minimize contact with men and women who insisted on making conversation and wasting his time.

Sasuke passed through darkened aisles as the sun set, nearing his tent.

Finally, he reached his lodgings and slipped in the door, adjusting and strengthening the magical wards that would alert him to anyone approaching.

Then he sat down on his bed to remove his dusty outerwear.

A slim hand reached from the shadows and covered his mouth with a chemical-soaked rag.

Immediately falling limp, Sasuke slipped into murky unconsciousness.

* * *

Naruto cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't think I've ever met you before," Sora murmured, "but you seem kind of familiar."

Naruto frowned. "No, I've _definitely_ met you before."

And with that, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her along as he raced across the rooftops. Upon arrival on the outskirts of town, he took to the trees, pulling her alongside him.

"And you can keep up with me?" he mused quietly. "Further proof…" he trailed off.

He quickly explained to Sora that he was a traveller and that another girl he hadn't yet met was also staying with the young couple he was lodging with.

Finally, they arrived at a cottage in a small clearing.

"I brought someone with me," he yelled ahead as they descended from the trees.

A man walked out the door. "Naruto, guest," he greeted. Then he stopped in confusion as they came closer. "Oh, Naruto, I see you've met our other boarder."

At the sound of the man's voice, Sora froze.

Then his wife came out.

"Back from your trip into town, Temari?"

And Sora collapsed.

* * *

"What's it like, being a legend?"

Sasuke groaned, rubbing his head as he sat up.

"You tell me."

"Lonely. Boring."

Sasuke grunted.

"Why are you here?"

"To talk to you."

"What if you get caught?"

"I won't," his visitor answered simply, truthfully.

Hissing in discomfort, Sasuke opened his eyes.

"Who stuffed a dead rabbit in my mouth?" he grimaced.

"Muskrat, actually," his visitor corrected.

Sasuke sighed.

"What do you want, Hyῡga?"

His visitor giggled. "Neji isn't here, Lord Darksteel."

"Hinata," Sasuke gritted out. "Happy?"

The girl smiled, pearlescent eyes glowing in the dim light.

"Very," she answered softly. "I need information."

"What, too difficult for Lady Silvermist?"

"I see your sarcasm is still up to par," Hinata responded. "On the contrary, I'm here to take care of you while you find the information I need."

"And if I refuse?" Sasuke muttered, taking the glass of water she handed him.

"You're the one who wants to get out of here," Hinata answered mildly.

"What is it they say? 'Between a rock and a hard place'?"

"I've never liked proverbs or legends."

"We _are_ legends."

"Exactly."

Sasuke grunted.

"Deal."

* * *

-End Chapter 6-


	8. Chapter 7

Many thanks to jasmineflowr19876 for being so inquisitive and helping me to get my ideas straight!

As always, I owe my sanity to Quicquidlibet for being a sounding board when my brain no longer thinks coherently.

Disclaimer: I don't own this series. I cannot draw, nor would I possibly be able to come up with inspiration as steadily as Kishimoto does.

Enjoy!

* * *

"It's hot."

"Yeah."

"Is Junior 'round 'ere somewhere?"

"Why?"

"Dunno."

Tenten chuckled tiredly. "Do you want to spar?"

"Why not?"

Tenten rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself up using her hands and knees. Then she offered a hand to Anko, pulling her up with a jerk.

"Damn," Anko sighed, rotating her shoulder to soothe the ache.

"Sorry," Tenten apologized, stretching out. "Weapons?"

"Nah, just hand-ta-hand."

Tenten nodded, settling into position. She waited for Anko to make the first move.

* * *

Shikamaru yawned, stretching out.

He took out a piece of paper to make note of the positions of his team.

"Looks like Naruto and Temari are on a crash course," he mused, "Although Temari's been sleeping since mid morning. If she ever wakes up, Kurenai and Asuma will be sure to introduce them. Temari will attack first, Naruto will try to hug her, they'll knock down a few trees and then Kurenai will knock them both out for the rest of the night," he predicted, marking up the paper decisively.

"Tenten is lazing about, Sakura is back on track and so is Lee," he noted.

Shikamaru sighed. "At least they're all moving on."

So when would _he_ be able to function properly again?

* * *

Anko groaned and Tenten sighed.

"So fuckin' bored."

"Tell me about it."

"Nuttin' ta do 'round 'ere."

"Nope."

"_God_, I'm dyin' o' boredom."

"Hey, Tenten-san, Mitarashi-san, there's someone here to see you," Konohamaru called.

"Thanks, Junior," Anko shouted back. "Wonder who it is," she mused.

At the sight of the limping figure, Tenten felt her body go numb.

"Neji?" she breathed.

Her old teammate looked up and Tenten gasped.

"Your eyes—"

"—Are recovering," a voice finished firmly. Sakura stepped out from behind her patient.

"As it turns out, all I need is a good kick in the ass to get moving again," she smiled.

"Good ta see ya up 'n' about," Anko grinned. "Scarin' people away from th' hospital again, Medusa?"

Sakura chuckled. "You know it."

"So you're in charge of Neji's recovery?"

"And Kiba's and Shino's."

Tenten froze as realization hit her.

"I _knew_ Lee wasn't okay," she breathed in horror.

At this, Neji chuckled. "He's okay now. We sent him ahead for a reason, and he did what he was supposed to."

Sakura nodded. "What's important is that all four of them are here safely, even if they've got a long recovery time ahead of them."

At that, Anko cracked a grin.

"You guys will be _legends_. Don't worry; we've been cheering you on. We'll take care of you, and we'll be singing your praises for years to come. _Soberly_."

Sakura and Tenten laughed heartily with their mentor and Neji chuckled along.

Anko's grin turned downright wicked. "Far inta' th' future, they'll be tellin' yer story, o' battle-ready Medusa th' healer an' righteously furious Athena th' warrior an' th' one kid wi' th' feminine hair—"

"Hey!" Neji protested as Tenten snorted loudly.

"Yeah, and how Medea was butchered by 'the one kid with the feminine hair'," Sakura joked.

"As if tha' pretty-boy can get 'is hands on me!" Anko shouted.

"We'll see," Neji mock-threatened.

And Tenten felt like home had finally arrived.

* * *

Shikamaru swore repeatedly, shaking his head in disbelief. "No, no, that's not right, Neji and Shino and Kiba _can't_ have arrived yet. Something's wrong—CHOUJI!" he shouted. "Chouji! Chou!"

His friend entered, munching on some crackers.

"Yeah?" he asked around a mouthful of crumbs.

"Chou, this is no time to eat." Shikamaru paced around, tugging at his hair in distress.

"What's up?"

"It's all wrong, all of it," Shikamaru muttered, "The arrival time is off and the reactions are false and it's not possible—"

"Calm down," Chouji murmured. "Nothing's the matter, you've just misinterpreted the facts is all," he soothed.

"No, no, the frames, the frames—"

"—Are allowed to be wrong," Chouji insisted.

Shikamaru sighed, feeling a heavy weight slowly lifting off of his shoulders. "I suppose you're right, Chouji. I've just been stressed and paranoid lately…"

Chouji smiled triumphantly.

"Chou, by the way, I need you to take a look at this for me." Shikamaru nudged Chouji towards one of the frames and he smiled.

"Sure thing, buddy."

Chouji took a step forward and promptly slumped to the ground.

Shikamaru hefted the stool in his hands, praying he wouldn't have to administer a second hit.

* * *

"So your eyes have to stay covered up?" Tenten asked.

"Until Sakura-san says otherwise," Neji affirmed.

"Shame," Tenten responded, tracing the scrolled lines traversing Neji's left hand. "I was hoping to see your beautiful eyes," she murmured, turning his hand over to follow the creases of his palm.

Neji flushed. "I'm sorry," he whispered, pulling on Tenten's hand to press a kiss to her knuckles.

"No, it's just—" Tenten turned away, voice thick with emotion.

"There there, don't cry, sweetheart," Neji soothed.

Tenten stood up abruptly. "I'm sorry," she choked out. "I'll be back later." She rushed out the door.

As soon as the door swung closed behind her, she grabbed the shoulder of a nurse passing by.

"Sakura," she demanded. "I have to see Sakura."

The nurse wordlessly led her to Sakura's workspace. The pink haired medic smiled, putting aside her paperwork and standing up to greet her friend.

"Neji," Tenten said, cutting to the chase. "He's not—"

"—Neji, I know," Sakura finished. "Kiba and Shino are missing some of their—" she paused as her throat closed up with tears. "—Some of their distinctive traits as well."

Tenten pulled Sakura into a hug, only just realizing that Sakura herself had barely come to terms with her own new "distinctive traits". She rubbed her friend's back as her sob-wracked breathing slowly evened out.

Pulling away and swiping at her eyes, Sakura continued, "Inoichi—" she paused again to hiccup, "—studied their memories under the guise of a medic checking for concussions. They know that something's here, so we're feeding them the idea that this is a specialized hospital and recovery center for a very ecclectic clientele. They're all under close and careful surveillance, though," she reassured Tenten.

Then she grinned ferally, cracking her knuckles. "If those bastards think we're gonna let them have anything of us, they've got another thing coming."

"Sakura, it's great to have you back."

"—And Medusa is ready to petrify some government ass," Sakura smirked.

* * *

Shikamaru sighed, working swiftly.

"Chou!" he yelled.

"Yeah?"

"I'm nearly finished with this guy's memories. Alert the others, I can't remember the processes."

"On it," Chouji called back.

"You're almost done?" Gai asked, stepping into the room with an air of incredulity.

"Almost—there," Shikamaru said, stepping away from the man. "His memories are rearranged now, and the only way they'll ever be able to tell is if they have a Nara on their side."

"Do they?" Gai asked, hefting the man over his shoulder.

"No," Shikamaru answered with a disgusted curl in his lip, leading the way to the ideal drop-off point.

"Are you positive?"

"My dad and I were the last Naras."

"So, what, did you recently discover some long-lost cousins or something?"

"No."

"Then what? Are they all on our side?"

"Me and my dad were the last and yes, he was on our side."

"He _was_? Then how about now? How are you sure he's not on their side?"

"Because I _killed him myself_."

Gai's face fell and he stumbled, taken aback. "I-I'm sorry," he murmured, placing the man where Shikamaru's chalk markings directed.

"No, you're not," Shikamaru spat. "You're not sorry because you don't know him."

"Sure I do," Gai answered sincerely. "Nara Shikaku, the greatest strategist we ever had."

"You know his name, but you don't know who he is—_was_," Shikamaru corrected. "All you see is the name Nara, and you know that he was a great strategist because he could get into people's minds and take their knowledge, because he knew how people think. He could rearrange their memory and he was a great person to have on hand because if a mistake was made in the presence of an enemy, he could change their memory and lo and behold, the other side would never know, right?"

He chuckled bitterly. "Sure, the Yamanakas can create the most realistic false memories and the Akimichis can erase bits and pieces so thoroughly that you can't even sense a gap in time, but the Naras have the package deal, right? They can manipulate memories, so they can hide pieces and rearrange things to create something new, and a Nara is a great friend to have because if you make a mistake, he can erase it, and it's like nothing happened!"

Shikamaru ceased pacing to look Gai straight in the eye. "_Everyone_ thinks that, but _no one_ knows the Naras," he growled. "It's only the most level-headed Naras who are allowed to use their powers, and for good reason too. My father found 'love', so he made a grievous mistake.

"He knew for years, for his whole _life_ that he could not use his powers for something like that, but one day he was tired. He wasn't thinking straight. So he erased my mother's memory of a single moment where he showed a less than favorable aspect of himself, but Akimichis are those who erase memory, and Naras are _not made_ for the destruction of memories and he erased too much and he _broke my mother's sanity._ So I was left with a shell of my mother and a broken father until he _begged_ me to _kill_ him.

"I am _not_ a person you want your child around, because all it takes is a _split second_ lapse in judgment and your child is not your child anymore, your child is _gone_."

Shikamaru was shaking and he couldn't stop, didn't know how to stop, couldn't remember how to stop, shaking so hard his knees knocked and his teeth ground with so much emotion he couldn't do anything to stop, and that was the problem, wasn't it, that he had to deal with such troublesome humanity so why couldn't he just erase it all and be done with it—

Gai spoke softly, cutting through the dark miasma clouding Shikamaru's mind.

"It's a good thing, then, isn't it, that I won't ever have children."

And all Shikamaru could do was lean into the embrace as his shaking subsided and he cried.

* * *

-End Chapter 7-


	9. Chapter 8

"Ack," Temari groaned. "What happened? God, my head aches."

Asuma chuckled. "That would be the byproduct of being knocked out twice within a few hours."

Temari gaped as a head of tousled blond hair emerged from the blankets next to her.

"Shit, my head," he hissed. "Fuck, Kurenai-san, did you have to make it hurt so much?"

Kurenai came in from the kitchen and leveled a glare upon the boy.

"That will teach you to respect a young lady. And _you_, young lady," she directed at Temari, "have a _lot_ of explaining to do."

Temari groaned.

"That might take a while…"

* * *

Sasuke emerged from sleep slowly, savoring the calm of the morning. He could feel a phantom-like memory of his mother's fingers stroking through his hair, and when he looked up he could see the dark curtain of her hair protecting him. He yawned and closed his eyes to enjoy the calming feeling.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," she coaxed, taking her fingers out of his hair to settle on his shoulders. She shook gently, helping him to brush off the last clinging vestiges of drowsiness.

Sasuke hummed gratefully.

"Thanks, mom."

She chuckled. "Open your eyes, Lord Darksteel. I'm not your mother."

Sasuke sat up with a jolt, eyes widening in horror as he took in the true identity of the female.

"Hyῡga," he grunted, trying to settle back into a semblance of his normal stony façade.

"What about Neji?" she asked, turning to retrieve something from the bedside drawer.

"…Hinata," he gritted out.

"You could always just call me Lady Silvermist," Hinata suggested.

"You hate being a legend," Sasuke reminded her.

"And? When has that ever stopped you before?" Hinata remarked, pulling out his toiletries and motioning towards the pitcher and basin in the corner.

"Thanks," Sasuke said automatically when he realized that Hinata had filled up the pitcher and basin with water for him.

"You're welcome."

And as he washed his face, Sasuke wondered about what she had said.

Because, really, it _hadn't_ ever stopped him before, so what was stopping him now?

"Lady Silvermist?" he tried.

Hinata's eyes hardened and her back straightened. "Yes?"

"Nothing, Hyῡga-hime."

Her eyes immediately softened and she resumed her graceful walk. "Don't call Neji-san a princess, it's demeaning," she replied.

"To him or to princesses?"

A quiet giggle came in answer.

* * *

"So for the past five months, you believed you were a girl named Warami Sora, who was in the care of her uncle Yashamaru, and you believed you had lived that way your whole life?" Kurenai summarized.

Temari nodded.

"So what changed that?" Naruto asked.

"I woke up one morning and there were two extra voices inside my head."

"Who?"

"The brothers I didn't know existed, Kankurou and Gaara."

Kurenai hummed in interest. "So how'd you get the seal?" she motioned toward the stamp-like ring hanging from the chain around Temari's neck.

"I woke up like that a few days into the second month, and I suddenly knew that Warami Sora didn't really exist. I had a head full of combat knowledge and I wanted to make use of it, so I enlisted in the military. They saw my name then tested my chakra. One of them pulled me aside and cast a Revealing Incantation, and the next thing I knew, they were signing me up as Subaku no Temari."

"Wait, the second month?" Naruto clarified.

"Yeah."

Naruto sighed. "This just gets better and better…"

* * *

Sasuke staggered back into his tent. Yakushi-san was having a ball tearing him apart every day and there was nothing Sasuke could do to stop him while still keeping his cover.

As he stepped through the flap of his tent, two small hands guided him towards the bed. He sat down heavily and the owner of the hands tsked at his injuries.

"You would think that they would try to treat their informant better."

Sasuke grunted.

"What are you going to tell them next?" Hinata asked, walking the inside perimeter of the tent to readjust the wards protecting their privacy.

Sasuke shrugged.

"Maybe you could tell them that they were expecting you back to report, ask them what they wanted you to feed the rebels so that you know what is false and what is true."

Sasuke shook his head. "General Orochimaru-sama is more tricky than that. He's a master of mixing truth into his lies so that it's nearly impossible to tell fact from fiction."

Hinata pushed him to lie down and started to clean his wounds gently with a damp cloth.

"That's why I'm here," she reminded him. "Two heads are better than one, especially if one can sneak around unseen to gather information."

Sasuke chuckled wryly, a dry, hacking sort of noise. "It must be nice that the Byakugan conceals as well as it finds."

Hinata smiled slightly. "But aren't you glad we gave you those colored contacts so that you can utilize your Sharingan without being found out? Our eyes are a complete giveaway no matter what state they're in."

Sasuke sighed. "Maybe being invisible isn't so bad."

"Good luck with that, Lord Darksteel."

* * *

"Gaara tried to do _that_?" Temari was horrified.

_Why!_

_It was necessary._

**_Man, little brother, I didn't know you needed us so much._**

Naruto shrugged. "He said you were a package deal, so Ino-chan dug up his memories for him. You and him both were put under a memory repressing spell and another incantation that gave you false memories. I dunno about your other brother."

"So what was the magic _supposed_ to do?" Asuma asked.

_It was supposed to transport the three of us, minds and bodies intact, to the rebel center in Suna._

Temari repeated what Gaara had said and Asuma's eyes betrayed his shock.

"That's some pretty dark magic," he murmured.

Kurenai chuckled. "Nothing's impossible for these guys," she reminded her husband. "They're the stuff of legends and they're only teenagers."

Naruto flushed and Temari frowned. "Legend?"

Naruto nodded slowly. "They call us 'The Court'," he informed Temari. "There are four of us, and we have especially powerful abilities. Your brother would have been part of the Court, but your father was so against it that we didn't dare."

"My father was in on this?"

"He was one of the heads of the rebel faction, but he turned on us around the same time that he pulled you guys out and hid your memories. About two months ago the government attacked our headquarters, and that's why I'm all the way out here."

"Lord Maelstrom," Temari breathed.

"Yeah, that's me. And Ino-chan was Lady Nightshade. She could do all this stuff because her chakra and magic were both earth-type, and she was amazing."

"Was?" Temari prompted.

"She's dead now," Naruto answered bluntly. Temari nodded.

"Death happens to everyone."

Naruto chuckled darkly. "Yeah. I guess. She died protecting Gaara and me when the jutsu went wrong. There was all of this dark magic and chakra flying all over so she absorbed it all before it could destroy all three of us. Gaara was supposed to take her place as carrier, but his body went to Suna and I guess his mind ended up with you."

Temari grimaced. "So what do we do to fix it?"

"Find their bodies and finish the jutsu properly," Kurenai speculated. "These types of issues can usually be solved that way," she elaborated.

"Yῡhi Kurenai," Temari ruminated. "You're not genjutsu specialist Yῡhi Kurenai, are you?"

"I am," Kurenai affirmed.

Temari nodded. "It's an honor to meet you."

"I must say the same to anyone who has lasted four months with two extra souls in her body."

Temari smiled tiredly. "It's been an uphill battle."

* * *

"Done," Hinata said, pulling her hands away from Sasuke's side. "I don't understand how he can fracture your ribs every day without fail."

Sasuke grimaced. "I let him. He'd be suspicious otherwise; I'm not supposed to be so proficient, being the Uchiha runt and all. I'm just surprised he hasn't realized I'm getting healed up even though I haven't visited the hospital tent in a while. I suppose he'll think I've been doing research, since the medical field is the most studied magical topic."

Hinata looked up in surprise. "You're talking a lot," she noted.

Sasuke scoffed. "They slipped something into my food, thought it would be a good idea to see if they could loosen my tongue at all."

"Did it work?"

"No. I had two blond idiots, a redhead and a brunette moron yelling at me and threatening me."

"_Two_ blonds?"

"Uzumaki and all three of the kids from Suna," Sasuke clarified.

"Ah."

Hinata closed her eyes and Sasuke did the same.

There were the four walls there always were. Each wall was sealed off. At first glance, they were all obsidian black, but as he watched, the black melted away to reveal the original structures before his own interior decorating.

The wall that was most cracked was of a tan colored stone and held back a massive amount of gold-bright sand.

The wall most recently repaired was clear blue-tinted stone. It looked like glass but was so much stronger, holding up against so much wind.

The third wall, now completely sealed, was opaque and rose-tinted. In it were branches of violet, and from time to time a patch of deep orange seemed to bleed through. Behind this wall lay mountains of sharp rock.

The last wall was deep and dark, like slate. Silver veins ran through it, and while he could push the sand away into the dusky corners, and stand up after the wind knocked him down, and although he could dodge the sharp spiny shards of rock, he could do nothing to stand against the water.

The sand melted under his flame and hardened into delicate glass.

The wind fueled his fire and brought it raging to new heights.

The rock was easily shattered by a charge of electricity.

But the water extinguished his fire, redirected his energy, and made him vulnerable to his own lightning.

And so, Sasuke groused as he opened his eyes, Hinata was the most dangerous member of the Court.

He watched Hinata glide around his tent on silent bare feet.

Lady Silvermist was as dangerous as poison lacing the air.

And yet he could do naught but watch her grace and wonder at his own weakness.

* * *

-End Chapter 8-

khakki . deviantart art / Fairy - Tail - Can - I - Sit - Here - 175030707? q=boost %3Apopular %20gray %20x %20natsu &qo=12


	10. Chapter 9

(A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is coming out so late, but now that school has started back up, I've had no time to write.

This is the last chapter I have written up, so if I'm going to post anything, I'm going to have to write it first.

There are a few chapters left that I haven't posted for Journey if you're following that, but I'm planning a full rewrite of Journey that I'll start posting after I've got the first ten chapters written (I currently have only two- don't hold your breath).

And... yeah. Enjoy.)

* * *

Tenten felt like screaming as sleep continued to elude her. As if to cement the thought and mock her simultaneously, her eyes popped back open, refusing to stay closed no matter what she did.

Her body was sore from sparring all day, her mind was weary from helping Sakura with her record keeping, but she could _not_ force her brain to shut off.

Wondering about all of her missing team members, including those missing _and_ even those accounted for—it was absolutely maddening, how her mind buzzed endlessly like a hive of perpetually agitated bees.

It must have been the caffeine she consumed earlier, she decided.

She'd lain still in bed waiting for sleep to come for over an hour, but only seemed to get less and less tired. Then she listened to music for another hour and a half before giving it up as a lost cause. So she got up and pushed aside some of her room's furniture to clear a large space. She practiced several katas and returned the room to its original state.

She sorted her tools and weaponry into the satisfactory ones and the ones that needed maintenance, and then she started to write letters.

And her brain only seemed to get _less_ tired, even as her hand cramped, her writing became illegible, and she could barely see straight.

Then Lee entered the room with a knowing smile, bearing a pack of cards and some energy drinks for the next day.

Tenten grinned tiredly and Lee smiled back with the same expression, and the teammates spent the night praying for their friend, teammate, and brother-in-all-but-blood's safety.

* * *

Shikamaru woke up dazedly, hissing at the kinks in his neck and the knots in his back.

He'd fallen asleep in his desk chair in the basement, but there was a blanket covering him.

So Gai wasn't back yet, otherwise he'd have been carried to his room on the upper level.

He stretched groggily but became immediately alert at the sight of two new additions to the queue of frames on the wall.

One was rather plain with a simple printed swirl design repeated along the perimeter, but the other was woven out of willow branches and interlaid with strips of jade.

He stepped up to it, muttering the words to the jutsu that allowed him to enter the store of memories, but nothing happened.

He took a step back and studied the frame.

And then he recognized it for what it was; a mirror.

"For when you forget about yourself," Chouji explained, walking in from the stairwell, "and the other is a frame for me."

Shikamaru looked at him with gratitude.

"Thank Gai-san, he was the one who picked them up on his trip back."

Gai stepped in sheepishly and Shikamaru couldn't help but grin.

"Thank you, Gai-san."

And Gai's beaming grin spoke for all three of them.

* * *

"Who took a hammer to my skull?" Tenten groaned, sitting up.

"That'd be me," Anko drawled. "Yer stance was 'bout as solid as a rag doll, lil' lady. Didja sleep at all las' nigh'?"

Tenten shook her head, getting to her feet unsteadily. "No, so I'm just gonna go to my room and take a nap—"

"Oh no you don't," Sakura shouted, storming onto the field. Her hands glowed green as she diagnosed Tenten's injuries. "Yeah, you've got a concussion. No sleeping for you yet, and certainly not alone."

Tenten moaned in horror. "I've already been up for over twenty hours without a bit of rest and my head feels like it's about to explode."

Sakura shook her head in disapproval. "You know better than to pull all-nighters," she reprimanded.

"Wasn't trying to. Couldn't fall asleep 'cos my brain wouldn't turn off," Tenten slurred, sitting down hard on the lawn. "Haven't _you_ ever worried 'bout Uz'maki or Uchi'a?" she spat, speech disoriented.

"Shit," Sakura cursed. "Stay awake, dammit! Athena, you'd better stay awake or so help me I'll tell Neji-san about your last birthday!" she threatened.

"You wouldn't dare," Tenten mumbled into her knees. "I'm awake, 'm up, no need t'do that."

Anko flicked the top of Tenten's head and she protested weakly. "Lil' lady, yer a moron. Tha's wha' Hatake'd say, ya hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you," Tenten grumbled, bringing up a hand to massage her aching temples.

* * *

"Inuzuka, Hyῡga, and Aburame are nearing the Endpoint. Haruno'll have a hell of a time making sure that all ends up well," Shikamaru groused. "Chou, tell Haruno to make sure she keeps them far away from each other."

Chouji nodded.

Then Shikamaru changed his mind and called after Chouji, "Actually, I'll do it myself."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

He turned to the computer monitor in front of him, shaking his head. "Don't see why we need to go through the computer," he muttered, threading some magic into one port and chakra into the other to get past the identification locks protecting the device.

"To: Haruno Sakura. From: Base." He quickly composed a message detailing the best strategy to keep the imposters unaware while ensuring the real team got the welcome and the care necessary.

He hit "Send" and waited as the machine took some of his chakra with which to establish the connection for the message's travel, and some of his magic to cloak the chakra's presence. Magic was everywhere in the world, but chakra existed mostly within creatures, so a pathway of chakra would be suspicious, but a trail of magic would not be conspicuous.

In fact, it would most likely be misconstrued as the migratory path of one of the miscellaneous creatures that the IT team had spread rumors about in order to mask their communications.

His father had come up with the idea to manipulate the natural force of gossip to aid them rather than to hinder them.

But, Shikamaru reminded himself, his father was _not_ the one at the head of the largest, incredibly complex, most significant information transport of their era.

No, Shikamaru was.

And he would succeed, no matter what it took. Failure was _not_ an option.

* * *

Sakura grimaced. "That was the gist of the message, but he caught me just as I was finishing up with a patient, so I lost the first part of it."

Tenten shrugged. "He's under a lot of stress, I'm sure he just forgot to check. It _was_ his chakra, right?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, it was definitely his chakra. So we should tell them that it's time for them to go because their recovery time is up?"

"Yeah?" Tenten groaned. "I'm no good at this strategizing stuff, just tell me what to attack and I'll do it. Should I go find Hatake-sensei?"

"What about me?"

"Oh, there you are, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura remarked offhandedly.

"What, nobody jumps in fright anymore?"

"You're becoming predictable, Hatake-sensei," Tenten replied.

"And we could feel the distinct lack of magic in the air," Sakura elaborated.

Kakashi hummed in approval. "Now, what did you need?"

"How do we keep Aburame Shino, Hyῡga Neji, and Inuzuka Kiba's imposters from finding out they've been discovered when the real deals come in tomorrow afternoon?"

"Have they been isolated this whole time?"

"Yeah, they think they're recovering at a special health care center and that only patients and staff are allowed to stay."

"What other 'patients' have they been in contact with?"

"Just Tenten-san and Lee-san," Sakura answered.

"So if their time is up, how come little lady and Lee-kun don't have to leave?"

Sakura considered the question for a while before tentatively suggesting, "Tenten-san and Lee-san are special exceptions?"

"Why?"

"Maybe because they've either got terminal or chronic illnesses, or complex injuries that will take even longer to heal than two eyes, a punctured liver, or a splintered femur."

"Such as?"

"Schizophrenia," Tenten cut in. "Or Dissociative Personality Disorder, some kind of mental illness. Maybe bipolar? They've seen me in all kinds of moods, and _he's_ seen me go from fury to tears in a split second."

"Dissociate Identity Disorder," Sakura corrected. "Bipolar, though, would work best from his experience with you," Sakura said decisively, "and Lee-san is recovering from a brain injury that prevents him from sleeping. He's been worse than you," she noted, looking at Tenten.

"Problem solved," Kakashi crowed in glee. And he promptly disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Sakura shook her head in exasperation. "He's such a diva…"

* * *

"They've got the right idea, and Hatake is helping them."

Shikamaru sighed in relief, shaking his head in disappointment at his own slip-up. He couldn't believe he'd allowed himself to get so absent-minded as to not check if Sakura was otherwise occupied or not.

He shook his head in shame, chewing on a ragged thumbnail.

"Shikamaru-kun?"

Shikamaru looked up from his paper-covered desk.

"Yeah, Gai-san?"

"I'll be off now."

"Where to?"

Gai looked at Shikamaru strangely. "To Endpoint, like you planned last week."

"Ah, yes, right. Travel safely," Shikamaru said.

"Is the way clear?"

"As much as it's ever going to be if you take the route I showed you."

"What route?"

Shikamaru groaned. "Right. Sorry." He fished through the piles on his desk and handed Gai a neat map with a path drawn across it. "This one. I've got the ideal times for arrival at each checkpoint marked as well."

Gai nodded and saluted. "Good luck, Shikamaru-kun!"

Shikamaru grunted noncommittally and Gai was off.

He sat for a moment longer in his chair before roaring in pent-up stress and frustration, swiping half of his papers off his desk before overturning both it and his chair.

He stood for a moment in the center of the mess, breathing heavily.

He lifted an arm up to his eyes as he started to cry.

* * *

-End Chapter 9-


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